Paper in architecture: The role of additive manufacturing

Abstract

The introduction of Additive Manufacturing (AM) brought transformative approaches for the building industry by the development of new systems and the exploration of new components with complex geometries. This paper intends to demonstrate the different AM Techniques in Architecture by mixing different materials, such as cellulose and starch. The research focus on the ecological potentials and limitations of a completely biodegradable material, cellulose – polysaccharide present on plant walls – for architecture using 3D printing techniques. The sensitive nature of this project is to take advantage of the potential of cellulose, an abundant, recyclable and biodegradable material, while transforming into a pulp for application in 3D printing for generation of new models taking advantage of the potentialities of the techniques in AM.